I have a 4cyl 97 tj, stuck with it now, so i gotta run with it. I have decided on 32s, and bought 4 offbrand M/T tires from my mechanic. Mounted em on AR767 steelies and since my jeep is on stock suspension i want to lift it before sticking them on. From what I have heard, the best way to clear em would be 3" of lift. Here are my options:

1) BDS 3" economy lift (would have to wait quite a bit longer)
2) BDS 2" Lift, .75" spacer in the front with a 1" body lift
3) BDS 3" lift springs and coils, nothing else for now.

Now it would be a no brainer if i wasn't a college student and I didn't have bald tires that are in dire need of replacement. Should I wait a little longer to get the complete 3" lift? Can i get away with just 3" springs and coils for now without upgrading swaybar links, and trackbar placement? If so that would be the best solution for me. Within a month or so I would be getting JKS quicker discos and trackbar brackets, so it wouldn't be a long term solution. Any input would be great guys!

Mike

http://rustysoffroad.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=rustys&Category_Code=sus_tj_kit

seems like you just need new tires and dont mind spendin a few on a bit of a lift to get 32s to fit. do you plan on lifting it bigger later on? or do you just wanna call this 3 inch lift it? is your main plan to get thoes tires on then cheap out on this lift and take care of the real lift later? if i was you i would drop the 300 on the 2inch basic kit or 450 on the basic 3" and add your jks discos and trackbar brackets later

SawZall


no really, my wife has 30" tires on her TJ and would have plenty of room to just 32" tires on there without any lift at all. i say throw them on there and cut off what rubs.

I ran my 32x11.50x15's on the stock wheels with at 2" coil spacer lift and new shocks for several years with no problems...

I ran my 32x11.50x15's on the stock wheels with at 2" coil spacer lift and new shocks for several years with no problems...

@ 200.00 for an RE setup like this its hard to beat.

@ 200.00 for an RE setup like this its hard to beat.

I think the RE budget lift will clear 32s.

http://www.rubiconexpress.com/Products.aspx?Cn=362&Pn=2036&XnPath=173,177,178,362&Vid=5935022661177

Thanks for all of the fast responses guys. My plan is to stick with 32's and a 3" lift until i have the money to throw in a 350 or get a 4.0L jeep. That being said, the ideal way to accomplish that would be a full 3" spring lift. I think I am going to try throwing on the 32s to see if they will fit. I dont really want to do a step by step upgrade which requires me to throw things out. I would rather go with 3" springs and shocks, and just add on the discos and track bars when money becomes avaliable. I just dont want to run into geometry problems by not getting swaybar links and trackbar brackets. Has anybody here ever run just 3" springs (could be 2" with 1" spacer or whatever)? Did you run into any problems? I do want to get into some pretty gnarly offroading, I do what i can right now with my stocker, but im hoping that this lift and tire combo will enable me to go a lot futher.

I think the RE budget lift will clear 32s.

http://www.rubiconexpress.com/Products.aspx?Cn=362&Pn=2036&XnPath=173,177,178,362&Vid=5935022661177

Not only is it pretty inexpensive, but it relatively easy to upgrade too.

it says on the re site that the shocks that come with that kit are good for 2.5-3.5" of lift. since the 3.5" lift kit that RE sells is more like 4.5, would it be safe to assume that I could basically keep these shocks and use them with BDS the 3" bds springs when i can afford them? I will be able to get discos fairly soon if i can get this kit because it only runs me about 300 bucks CAD. For a little bit more then the bds 2" spring lift i can get the spacers, shocks AND discos.

How do the twin tube shocks ride?

I just worked on a friend's TJ and he had the 2 inch spacer kit. He is running I believe 32's with no problem. We are planning to go 33's and do some trimming and see if we can't pull the spacers back out. He has tube fenders to replace the sheet metal. The spacers look like a good cheap solution to retain the stock ride quality.

Im going to have a chat with my parents and see if they will help offset the costs of the lift. I have put almost 1500 bucks into this jeep in parts alone. (CAD) RAD, water pump, thermostat, TPS, cap, rotor, plugs, wires, optoma yellow top, steering stabilizer, rims, and tires. That isnt including monthly insurance payments, and gas. Seeing as I am 18 i think i have done a good job undertaking this responsibility, and still comming up with enough money for my first two years of college... well half of what it costs, parents are paying the other half. I have about 300 bucks right now, and i have an 800 dollar paycheck comming in next week. (i only spend one out of every three paychecks, so i have to save a fair amount of the money). so hopefully they can give me half of the $855 the 3" bds lift is going to cost. I dont really want to go for a spacer lift because, like i said, i do want to get into some challenging offroading. I live about 15 mins from our local trail so im out there atleast twice a month, STOCK :D...

Maybe i have to cut back on the partying. Or quit going to bars, the basically bend you over for the cost of booze (always responsibly ofcourse)

anyways, for any of you members who are parents, do you have any suggestions on how i should approach them or ask them to help?

Just ask them.. Or just keep saving your money so you don't have to pay them back. You can drive your jeep till you get the money together and lift your jeep

http://www.kctools.com.au/images/TOOLS/TOOL%20JPEGS/TOOL%20JPEGS%20INC%20DESCRIPTION/15025%20SLEDGE%20HAMMER.jpg
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Roll A Joint (http://howtorollajoint.net/)

I know it's a little more money, but have you considered doing the R.E. 3.5 Super-Flex lift? It includes real sweet disconnects. With this lift, you will net approximately 4 inches of actual lift. You can never go wrong with a RE lift. However, at 4 inches, you will need the TC drop and you might have to do a MML **IF** you have any vibe issues. However, you would have a top quality lift that will last a very long time.

http://www.rubiconexpress.com/Products.aspx?Cn=362&Pn=2032&XnPath=362&Vid=D1355B2687964

If you're worried about money, just do the BB and don't look back. Get either some aftermarket wheels with better backspacing or some wheel spacers and slap on those 32s. You shouldn't have ANY clearance or rubbing issues with that setup. There are probably about 1000 guys on JeepForum running exactly that.

I already bought some ar 767 wheels with 3.75" backspacing. I am going to bring it up to my parents tonight, ill update on how it goes

why not 35's and save that cash on a lift.

0" lift on 35's.

Front:
http://www.jpmagazine.com/projectbuild/154_0503_1998_jeep_wrangler_tj_tire_fitting/index.html

Rear:
http://www.jpmagazine.com/projectbuild/154_0504_1998_jeep_wrangler_tj_rear_tires/index.html

hahaha, maybe its due to the fact that i have a 4 cyl, or maybe the fact that i dont want to hack up my jeep. Interesting read nonetheless.

YEAY... my mom said that she was pretty much down for helping me out with the extra 300 bucks i need for the 3" bds lift. She asked me to email her all of the particulars though so she can look it over. I emphasized BDS's warranty, and the fact that i picked tires that were less then the max size. It is pretty much a go..... hopefully i can order the kit within the next few days